Airbag buffer for footwear

ABSTRACT

An airbag buffer for footwear includes a sole and an airbag. The sole has a plurality of air passageways. The airbag is arranged in the sole and has an air flowing section between the airbag and the sole and communicating to the air passageways. The air within the sole is forced to flow into the air flowing section through the air passageways when the sole is pressed. The air flowed into the air flowing section can flow back to the sole through the air passageways when the pressure exerted to the sole is relieved. Therefore, the air within the footwear can uniformly flow along front-and-back and left-and-right directions as the user walks. The uniform and omni-directional flow of air makes a comfortable feeling to user.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag buffer for footwear, especially to an airbag buffer arranged on bottom of footwear to cushion shock from counteraction of ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Most people wear footwear at almost all times, except during sleep, in their everyday lives. Therefore, the footwear is always under extensive research to provide comfortable feeling to user. More particularly, the footwear is provided with airbag buffer to cushion shock from counteraction of ground.

[0003]FIG. 1 shows a prior art airbag buffer for footwear, which includes a sole 1 and an airbag 2. The sole 1 comprises an outer base 10, a middle base 11 atop the outer base 10 and a padding 12 atop the middle base 11. An accommodating chamber 13 is provided in the outer base 10 and comprises a forepaw room 14 and a heel room 15. The airbag 2 is placed within the accommodating chamber 13 and mainly distributed in the forepaw room 14 and the heel room 15.

[0004]FIG. 2 shows another prior art airbag buffer for footwear, there are two airbags 2 arranged in a forepaw room 14 and a heel room 15.

[0005] In above-mentioned airbag buffers, the deformable ability of the airbag is exploited to cushion shock from counteraction of ground. In the airbag buffer shown in FIG. 1, the airbag is deformed along one dimension connecting the forepaw room 14 and the heel room 15. In the airbag buffer shown in FIG. 2, the airbags are deformed separately in the forepaw room 14 and the heel room 15. In both cases, the restoring ability is limited and the effect to cushion the shock is not satisfactory.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag buffer for footwear, which can provide uniform buffering and fast restoring effect.

[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide an airbag buffer for footwear, which can provide better circulating effect for air in the footwear.

[0008] It is still another object of the present invention to provide an airbag buffer for footwear, which can provide better protecting effect for user's foot.

[0009] To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides an airbag buffer for footwear, which includes a sole and an airbag. The sole has a plurality of air passageways. The airbag is arranged in the sole and has an air flowing section between the airbag and the sole and communicating to the air passageways.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

[0011]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a conventional airbag buffer for footwear;

[0012]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of another conventional airbag buffer for footwear;

[0013]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an airbag buffer for footwear of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an airbag buffer for footwear of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 5 is a top view of an airbag buffer for footwear of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an airbag buffer for footwear of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0017]FIG. 7 is an exploded view of an airbag buffer for footwear of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[0018]FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an airbag buffer for footwear of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the present invention provides an airbag buffer for footwear, which comprises a sole 1 and an airbag 2. The sole 1 comprises an outer base 10 having an accommodating chamber 13, a middle base 11 atop the outer base 10 and having a plurality of air passageways 16, a padding 12 atop the middle base 11 and having a plurality of air passageways 17 communicating with the plurality of air passageways 16.

[0020] The airbag 2 is formed in the accommodating chamber 13 and integrally formed with the sole 1. The airbag 2 comprises a paw section 20, a heel section 21 and an air flowing section 22 among the paw section 20, the heel section 21 and the sole 1. The airbag 2 extends in an area corresponding to the distribution of the air passageways 16 and the air passageways 17, wherein the air flowing section 22 is communicated with the air passageways 16 and the air passageways 17. Therefore, the air within the sole 1 is forced to flow into the air flowing section 22 through the air passageways 16 and the air passageways 17 when the sole 1 is pressed. Moreover, the air flowed into the air flowing section 22 can flow back to the sole 1 through the air passageways 16 and the air passageways 17 when the pressure exerted to the sole 1 is relieved. Therefore, the air within the footwear can uniformly flow along front-and-back and left-and-right directions as the user walks. The uniform and omni-directional flow of air make a comfortable feeling to user.

[0021] With reference now to FIGS. 4 and 6, the airbag 2 comprises the paw section 20 and the heel section 21 and is assembled into the accommodating chamber 13 of the sole 1. The airbag 2 is surrounded by an annulus air ring 23 and the air flowing section 22 is arranged among the sole 1, the paw section 20, the heel section 21 and the annulus air ring 23. The sole 1 has a packing layer 24 to shield the air flowing section 22 and is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC),

[0022] With reference now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the airbag 2 is assembled to the sole 1 and has an air flowing section 22. The air flowing section 22 is communicated to the air passageways 17 through top portion thereof and communicated to external air through bottom portion thereof. Therefore, more fresh air can be supplied to the footwear through the air flowing section 22.

[0023] To sum up, the airbag buffer for footwear of the present invention has the following characteristics.

[0024] (1) The air flowing section provided between the airbag and the air passageways can enhance the restoring ability of the airbag and buffering function of the airbag.

[0025] (2) The air flowing section provided between the airbag and the air passageways can circulate air flow in the footwear and make user more comfortable.

[0026] (3) The air flowing section provided between the airbag and the air passageways can provide smooth movement of foot wearing the footwear.

[0027] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and other will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An airbag buffer for footwear, comprising a sole having a plurality of air passageways; and an airbag arranged in the sole and having an air flowing section between the airbag and the sole and communicating to the air passageways.
 2. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the sole has an accommodating chamber, the airbag is placed within the accommodating chamber and integrally formed with the sole.
 3. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the sole comprises an outer base having the accommodating chamber, a middle base atop the outer base and having a plurality of air passageways, a padding atop the middle base and having a plurality of air passageways communicating with the plurality of air passageways of the middle base.
 4. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the airbag comprises a paw section and a heel section, the air flowing section being provided among the paw section, the heel section and the sole.
 5. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the airbag extends in an area corresponding to a distribution of the air passageways.
 6. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the sole has an accommodating chamber, the airbag comprises a paw section and a heel section and is assembled into the accommodating chamber of the sole, the airbag is surrounded by an annulus air ring, the air flowing section is arranged among the sole, the paw section, the heel section and the annulus air ring.
 7. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 6, wherein the sole has a packing layer to shield the air flowing section.
 8. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 7, wherein the packing layer is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
 9. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the airbag has an air flowing section, the air flowing section communicated to the air passageways through a top portion thereof and communicated to an external air through a bottom portion thereof. 